Director of Product
Why this role matters
At Vahan, we’re helping 300M+ blue-collar workers in India find jobs. Over time, we want to become the center of all money and financial needs for blue-collar workers. We’re a Y Combinator company that is backed by marquee investors such as Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund and Temasek. Several executives from Google and Flipkart are also investors in the company.
Vahan’s platform already helps thousands of blue-collar workers land better jobs every month. As Director of Product you’ll take that impact from 10 → 100, turning bold ideas into products that millions rely on daily. This is a highly entrepreneurial position reporting directly to the CEO and will require you to assume a number of different roles.
What you’ll do
Co-own (with the CEO) the product vision & roadmap and tie every release to a clear business or user win.
Talk to users every week - blue-collar workers, recruiters, employers - and turn insights into quick, iterative launches.
Build and coach a small but mighty team of PMs, designers and data folks.
Get your hands dirty often in order to show, not tell; be an IC, not just a manager.
Work shoulder-to-shoulder with Engineering and Operations teams to reach revenue, retention and NPS goals.
Balance scrappy shipping with long-term architecture: get MVPs out fast, then polish what sticks.
Must-haves
Builder’s mindset - you’ve launched 0-to-1 products and scaled them fast.
- Obsession with your craft; ability to build deep empathy for your users.
- Deep sense of curiosity with the ability to ‘drink from the firehose’.
- Clear, candid communication; you align cross-functional teams with ease.
- 8+ years in product, with experience leading a small team of PMs.
Should-haves
- Experience coaching or growing people who’ve worked for you.
- Proven track record of growing a product 10X or more.
- Hands-on exposure to operationally intensive marketplaces.
- Early-stage startup or founder background.
Nice-to-haves
- Built for “Bharat” / next-billion users before.
- Experience building AI / ML based products.
Why you’ll love working with us
Real-world impact on 300M+ workers’ livelihoods.
- Unlimited PTO plus two wellness days a month.
- Competitive salary, bonus and meaningful equity.
- Comprehensive health cover for you and your dependents.
About the founder
Madhav Krishna is the Founder & CEO of Vahan.ai. He has a background in AI and machine learning, with a Master’s in Artificial Intelligence from Columbia University and a B.Tech from NSIT Delhi. Before starting Vahan, he worked with technology startups in the US, including Jetsetter and NextJump, and later returned to India to build technology for large-scale social and economic impact. At Vahan, Madhav is focused on using AI to help millions of blue-collar and gig workers access better livelihood opportunities, while helping businesses hire at scale more efficiently. Madhav was named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum in 2022 and was recently named as one of the top leaders determining the future of AI in India by MIT Sloan Management Review.
Ready to build?
Apply here and in one short paragraph, tell us why this mission matters to you.